OSB: From the Forest to the Home

August 19, 2016 in Wood Products - #OSB&Panels

It all starts in the forest. Trees are one of our most valuable renewable resources. Through responsible and sustainable forest management practices, we can supply our needs for wood today and for the future, while also conserving our forests.

Throughout Canada and the United States, Weyerhaeuser is a steward of the forest. As we harvest trees, we replace them with seedlings — more than 50 million seedlings every year.

Our OSB products are typically manufactured from a variety of fast-growing, small-diameter trees. These trees are generally not well suited to make lumber, but are ideal for manufacturing OSB. On average, 98% of each log is used to produce small fiber strands or to generate energy. Even parts of the tree unsuitable to make OSB (for example, the bark) are burned to supply energy to our self-sustaining mills.

Weyerhaeuser’s OSB panels are born out of heat and pressure. Using energy generated from waste, the strands are dried and mixed with adhesive resins and wax. The resinated strands are formed into a thick mat with strands oriented in layers to optimize performance. Heat and pressure are applied to compress the mat to its final thickness. The finished engineered panel may be anywhere from 3/8″ to 1-1/8″ thick and ready for the jobsite.

“Historically we produce reliable panels that builders request because they hold nails extremely well, look good and have properties that perform in the field,” says George Hendry, marketing development manager for Weyerhaeuser. “Builders need OSB subflooring they can count on that can be obtained quickly. For decades we’ve been producing OSB products that meet or exceed PS2 standards. These top-quality subfloor panels take the worry away for builders.

“What makes Weyerhaeuser OSB products stand out ahead of the competition? It’s a bit like the colonel’s secret recipe for chicken. It’s all in the ingredients we combine, our 30+ years of experience and the intense care we take in manufacturing every single OSB panel.”